A Past Life
by gbkgreenleaf
Summary: When Jack Sparrow is thrown 20 years into the past, he meets a certain future commodore. At age ten.
1. Back in Time

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Zip. Zero.

Captain Jack Sparrow stood at the helm of the _Black Pearl_, his many beads and trinkets clinking in the wind. Dark clouds were gathering on the horizon, highlighted by flashes of lightening and heralded by peals of sullen thunder. The last thing Jack wanted was to be trapped in a sea squall. The ship was near enough to Tortuga to just about make it, so the captain steered toward it with all sails spread. Gibbs stumbled up to the poop deck, grabbing the rail as a vicious breaker slapped against the bow. "We'll never make it into Tortuga. The bloody wind's changin' to the wrong direction," he shouted, rubbing a bruised shoulder.

"Drop canvas and heave to, you half-brained clods. Make ready for a storm," ordered Jack, relinquishing the helm to Anamaria. Suddenly a huge bolt of lightening erupted from the sky and struck the main mast with a resounding crack. It was just at that moment that Jack had his hand on the mast. He let out a cry and flipped over the side of the ship into the crashing waves.

Jack painfully regained consciousness halfway in the water and halfway on a beach. He pulled himself out of the water and lay a hand on his aching head. He stumbled wearily into the shade of a palm and removed his jacket, spreading it out to dry. Glancing around, he beheld a sprawling settlement and a heavily guarded fort. Lucky for him the sun had not risen yet. A few ships were anchored in the bay, but there was no other sign of movement anywhere as far as he could tell. The place bore a striking resemblance to Port Royal, but there were some crucial differences that made Jack doubt that was where he was. For one thing, there were quite fewer houses. Also, the _Dauntless_ was nowhere to be seen. Jack scratched his head in bewilderment, swiveling around to get his bearings. He decided on creeping around to see if he could ask anyone some questions.

Jack put his coat back on and struggled through the thick vegetation until he reached the outskirts of the town. There was still no sign of wakeful life, so he sneaked through the streets back to the beach. The first rosy fingers of dawn were spreading through the sky, staining the clouds into shades of pastel pink. Jack suddenly spotted a small figure moving down the shoreline. The pirate ducked behind a tree to observe the newcomer.

It was a young boy, no older than ten or eleven. His hair was a rich mahogany with light sun-bleached streaks. He was dressed in simple breeches and jacket, but he had an upper class air about him. His head was bare and his hat hung from his hand. He looked so familiar to Jack that the pirate squinted and studied the boy's face. Finally Captain Sparrow left his hiding place and approached the youngster.

"I say, junior, what's your name?" he asked. The child glanced up in surprise. A flash of familiarity came over Jack again at the sight of the lad's eyes. They were a sharp pale blue, the color of the Caribbean shallows.

"Norrington," answered the boy, folding his arms. "James Norrington."

"You don't happen to be related to a _Commodore_ Norrington, do ye?" pressed Jack, his heart skipping a few beats.

James looked at him with one eyebrow raised. "No, sir, not a commodore. But my father is an admiral."

"I say, what's the date, lad?" asked Sparrow, a sudden terrible idea coming into his head.

The boy looked at him as one would a madman. "It is May 8, 1705."

Jack froze, staring blankly into empty space. "Did you just say 1705?"

"That's right. We're in Port Royal, 1705."

Captain Sparrow was in his most interesting adventure yet.


	2. The Black Pearl Arrives

Disclaimer: I own nothing. By the way, all my dates are listed supposing that the movie happened in the mid 1720s. So 20 years before that would be around 1705, savvy?

Jack took his leave of the lad and wandered off down the beach in the opposite direction. _It must have been the lightening bolt_, he thought. _It must have created a time distortion thingamajig. _He sat down in the sand, wracking his brains for a way to get back to his own time. Finally he sighed and decided that he should make the best of being 20 years in the past. First he would have to find himself a good pub to raise his spirits. Jingling in his pockets were a few coins, enough to buy him a bit of rum and lodging for the night. He made his way to the town.

In a seedier part of the settlement Jack found just what he was looking for. It was a run-down old inn with a sign marked _The Turncoat's Tavern_ dangling by one corner from its iron bracket. The pirate pushed in the peeling door and plunked a few coins on the bar. The grizzly bartender shoved a pewter tankard into his hands. Jack sipped away, carelessly glancing around the establishment. There were a few scruffy patrons sitting at a nearby table but otherwise it was empty. Jack motioned for the barkeep's attention.

"Do you have a room open, mate?" the captain asked, finishing up the last dregs at the bottom of his tankard.

The bartender nodded and pointed up the stairs. "Take yer pick. It'll be seven of those coins of yers."

Jack paid the man and sauntered up the rickety staircase. He found a room with a window displaying the fort, dock, and edge of the town. He pulled off his jacket and hat and hung them on a dusty chair. He suddenly noticed a new ship sailing into the bay. He recognized it instantly. It was the _Pearl_.

Captain Sparrow danced down the stairs on the balls of his feet. His lovely _Black Pearl_ was in the harbor, and, at this time, was captained by no other than his past self! He ripped through the creaking door and hid close to the dock. He did not remember ever sailing his ship into Port Royal, but it had been 20 years ago. He watched them drop anchor and pay the cost needed to tie up a boat in the bay. A couple of naval officers had their eyes fixed on the newcomers, but they were not causing trouble. Yet.

The sailors on the _Pearl_ did not get off the ship, so Jack decided to mosey back to his room and watch from there. He got back to the _Turncoat's Tavern _and went up to his lodging. He flopped onto the bed from which he could still get a good view out the window. But the lull of birdsong and the waves washing up onto shore made his eyelids grow heavier and heavier. Soon he was snoring peacefully without a care in the world.

When Jack finally awoke it was dusk. He was absolutely famished, so he went downstairs and used the last of his money to buy a meal. But soon afterwards his pockets were again chinking with the contents of another man's pocketbook. It was so easy to pluck the thing from the guy's coat pocket when he was sitting next to Jack. The pirate captain allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction as he strolled the moonlit streets freely. He stopped on the dock to admire his ship. The carved woman on the front had never looked more beautiful with the bird in her outstretched hands. The sails were flapping loosely in the night breeze and the waves lapped softly against the hull. Jack saw movement on deck and quickly dashed behind a tree. He did not want to alert his younger self of his presence until the opportune moment.


	3. The Rescue Begins

Disclaimer: If I owned anything I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, would I?

Jack stayed in hiding for a few more minutes, but there was no more movement from the silent _Pearl_. The pirate meandered around the streets for a while, looking into shop windows and seeing what he could pilfer and what he could not. He dawdled at the jewelers but the door was locked fast. Finally he went back to his room and spent the night thinking up a new scheme he could perform with the help of his younger version.

During the early hours of the morning Jack did the pilfering he had planned the night before. He also noticed that there were a great deal of officers and soldiers swarming around the dock. The second thing he realized was that the _Black Pearl_ was gone from the bay. That was unfortunate. He badly wanted to discuss some things with himself. He went up to an old housewife sweeping her front step.

"Excuse me. What's all the to-do at the dock about?" he asked her, gesturing towards the harbor.

"Didn't you hear? A ship that came yesterday just kidnapped a poor lad and skedaddled off," she answered, leaning on her broom.

"Which lad would that happen to be?" continued Jack apprehensively.

"None other than the admiral's son himself, young master Norrington, poor child," she said sympathetically. "The admiral is completely worked up over it. We'll be getting a ransom demand any day now, I'm sure."

Jack thanked the woman for her help and tramped back down the road. Now that he considered it, he had been in Port Royal around this time. And he had captured a lad, come to think of it. The Navy had brought two ships down on him and given the _Pearl _a bad raking. He had released the boy to avoid being destroyed. It had been his worst defeat in history, and now he could stop it from happening. All he had to do was rescue the kid and return him to the port before the ships caught up with the _Pearl. _Perhaps going back in time wasn't so bad after all.

Captain Sparrow went up to his lodgings and mulled over his new plan. The first thing he would need was a boat small enough for him to sail alone. There were quite a few merchant ships that fit the bill perfectly. All he would have to do was prance over to them under cover of darkness, avoid the guards, and steer one of the boats into open water. The second thing he would need was a few items he could swipe from the shops, such as rope, supplies, and a few trinkets in case bartering was required. He knew himself well, and if a trade was arranged, he knew exactly what he would want. Know thine enemy, and Jack certainly knew his.

He picked out a boat that was most fitted for his purposes. She was a sturdy little craft with a shallow draft and a single durable sail. She was called the _Lively_, a name written across the side in elegant dark letters. Jack liked her from almost the moment he set eyes on her. Just what he wanted; fast, maneuverable, and easy to handle. Now all he had to do was snatch her from under the nose of the Navy.

Jack sat behind a stone wall, watching the _Lively_ with hawk-like intensity. The last civilians were leaving for their homes and the night watch had just begun their first circuit. Jack had filched a coil of rope and reloaded his pistol with ammunition stolen from the local gunsmith. The first pair of soldiers walked by, the moonlight glinting off their muskets. Jack held his breath and waited for them to pass. The moon slowly slid behind a veil of clouds. None of the soldiers noticed the stealthy pirate creep behind them, untie the _Lively_, and sail noiselessly out of the bay.

Jack stood at the helm, guiding his new craft after the _Pearl_. Life didn't get much better then this.


	4. To the Future Again

Disclaimer: I own nothing but this computer.

Captain Jack Sparrow steered the _Lively _almost lazily. She was making good time as the wind and waves were favorable. Jack knew the exact bearings of the _Pearl's_ location. He never forgot the spot where his worst loss took place. Only now it would never happen. Jack smiled happily at the thought of the look on his young version's face when he saw himself. It would be quite a good story to tell if he ever got back to his own time.

Jack looked through a spyglass and saw the _Black Pearl_ in the distance. He unfurled the sail and watched as it swelled up with sea wind. The tiny vessel skimmed across the water like a knife through butter. She easily gained on the stationary pirate ship. A sudden warning shot was fired from the _Pearl_ across the _Lively's_ bow. Jack quickly ran up a white flag of truce on his single mast. The grimy faces of his old crew peeked out from the decks of the _Pearl_. They could not see him clearly, so they were not yet shocked at his similarity to their captain.

Jack shouted to them, "Permission to come aboard, mates! I have a business proposition for ye!"

One of the men possessed a shrill voice that carried well. "Permission granted! We'll throw ye a rope!"

Jack took care to pull his hat over his eyes before he accepted the rope and was hauled aboard. He did not want to cause the unavoidable panic before even starting negotiations. "I would like to speak to your captain, gentlemen," he said smoothly. "I'll only make deals with him."

A couple of crewmen went up to the poop deck and returned with a very young version of Jack at their heels. He was slightly leaner and shorter then the older Jack and his kohl-lined eyes did not carry the seasoned look of his elder.

"Captain Sparrow," said the older Jack, head bent slightly downwards to hide his face. "I heard you're holding a young lad hostage."

"That's right. And who are you to be inquiring on our dealings?"

"Oh, I'm just here to negotiate his release, that's all," said the older Jack seriously.

"What's your name, pirate?" asked the younger Jack with his hand on his cutlass.

The other Jack removed his hat and looked himself in the eye. "Remember me?"

"What the--," gasped the younger one, nearly falling backwards into the rail. "It's not possible."

"Not _probable_," said the other. "My mast was struck by lightening and I fell back twenty years. Now, listen up, because there isn't much time. Two ships of the Royal Navy are coming here to rescue the boy. I suggest you give him to me before you face a defeat that will haunt you the rest of your life. Trust me, I should know."

The younger Jack gaped for a moment before answering. "I can't just give him up. We could get quite a lot of money for him."

"Those ships aren't coming to pay for him. Now cough him up," said his elder impatiently, tapping his foot.

"First prove your story to me," said the other with an air of offended dignity. "Then I'll turn over the admiral's lad."

"If you insist," said the older Jack. "Let's see. Do you remember that one night in Tortuga where you…"

"All right, I believe you," said the younger hurriedly, drowning out the last words. He then turned around and nodded at another crewman. He went below decks and brought up the prisoner. The older Jack carefully cut his bonds and they both went back to the _Lively_. But before they sailed away, Jack shouted to his younger self, "Be sure to watch out for traitorous first mates!"

The bemused look on the other satisfied him immensely. Young Norrington was quite eager to help with the upkeep of the boat, so Jack gave him the bearings to Port Royal and let him steer himself. Soon after breaking up with the _Pearl_ they met a ship of the Royal Navy with the admiral in command. Jack and James were both brought on board. But storm clouds were brewing and the air was getting heavier. The admiral was worried about getting caught in a gale before getting back to the port. Jack suggested they heave to and wait out the storm.

The ship was surrounded with dark clouds. Rain lashed against the hull and water splashed onto the deck. A bolt of lightening burst from the sky and Jack purposely backed up into the main mast. The lightening hit the mast and, in a flash of light, Jack was nowhere to be seen.

Jack awoke to bright sunlight and blue skies. He could see Cotton and Anamaria standing close by. Slowly he sat up and Gibbs pulled him to his feet. "What happened?" Jack asked once he identified his surroundings.

"Lightening hit the mast and you fell overboard. We fished you out before you floated away," Gibbs answered. "Took us an hour to wake you up, though. Were you having a nice dream or something?"

"Just dreaming of a past life," said Jack, laying a hand on the helm.

-The End-


End file.
